Tsar George II Terter

George II Terter ruled Bulgaria briefly in 1322–1323 and was the last ruler of the Terter dynasty. He was born as the son of Tsar Todor Svetoslav and Tsarina Euphrosyne.

Despite his youth, George II Terter proved a warlike and ambitious ruler. In 1322 he began a successful campaign against Byzantium, capturing Plovdiv and restoring it to Bulgarian territory. He also conquered the fortresses around Adrianople, provoking a conflict with the Byzantine emperor Andronikos III.

In August 1322, George II Terter fought a decisive battle that ultimately ended in a Byzantine victory. Pursued by Andronikos III, the Bulgarians suffered defeat and lost towns and possessions. In the spring of 1323, George II Terter died unexpectedly without leaving an heir, marking the end of the Terter dynasty. In the ensuing struggle for the throne, the despot of Badin, Michael III Shishman Asen, became the next Bulgarian tsar.

Although some interpret his death as the result of a conspiracy, other historians believe that George II Terter died of natural causes. An inscription from Ivanovo mentions “...Tsar George perished”, allowing different interpretations of the end of this period in Bulgarian history.